Sunday, 19 February 2012

Friday 17th - A lazy day

We are not awoken at the crack of dawn by the sound of breakfast being laid up next door because somebody has slept in. We breakfast with Victoria and her 16 year old daughter,Maisie, who are working as volunteers at an orphanage for handicapped children. We are in no hurry and chat until our omelettes arrive.

We have decided to spend the morning in Lodi Gardens, ten minutes walk from the Bungalow.The weather is cooler today and even a little overcast at times. The gardens are full of school parties in various colours of blazer according to school.

There are various ruined monuments and tombs to look at as well as hundreds of squirrels and various birds.

The kids are having a great time. One bunch see D's camera and rush over to have their picture taken. R finds a small ornamental lake with various ducks to watch so she is delighted. At lunchtime we move on to Khan market where we have a beer and order vegetarian Nachos. When they arrive it is a plate of dry tortilla chips and 3 small bowls of dip. As R said "Nachos au naturelle". The bill was astronomic by Indian standards - we should have gone to the place along the street advertising all day Happy Hour.

We browsed in the market for a while but it is very prententious - we could be in Tonbridge Wells. The most interesting shop is one that sells small religious idols and rather quirky Christmas decorations showing Santa Claus on elephants and camels.

It had warmed up a bit and we strolled back home for a siesta, waking just in time for afternoon tea on the terrace. It came in chilly again as it got dark - we must be acclimatising. Dinner was only a small group as many guests had gone out to eat. It was us, Victoria and Maisie, an older couple called Septimus and Nicky and a South African lady with such a clipped accent that we couldn't make out her name. She told R that she was unable to understand Scottish accents - that went down well. Supper was a bit eclectic - pasta, potato wedges, rice, daal, spinach with home made paneer and a kind of Indian choucroute. Very tasty and followed by custard and fruit.